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Idioms

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Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

tau

1. (verb) (-ia,-ria) to attack.

Ka tauria te pā o Whakatōhea, kīhai i taea (W 1971:396). / Whakatōhea's pā was attacked, but it was not taken.

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tau

1. (noun) husband, spouse, partner, lover, darling, beau, boyfriend, girlfriend, sweetheart.

Hei konei rā ē, e te tau pūmau (TTT 1/5/1923:9). / Farewell, my lifelong friend.

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Synonyms: hoa tākunekune, tau o te ate, makau, tahu, kairoro, whaiāipo, ipo

tau

1. (noun) string (of a garment, etc.), loop or thong (of a patu).

Kātahi te tama ka whakatika, ka whakawiria iho te tau o te patu ki te ringa (NM 1928:395). / Then the boy rose up and twisted the string handle of the short weapon around his hand.

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Synonyms: koromeke, kono, koropewapewa, koru, koropewa, pōkuru


2. (noun) tie, fastening, string, cord (of a bag, etc.).

I whaohia ā rāua kupu ki roto i taua pūtea, nō te paunga ki roto kātahi ka kumea te tau, kātahi ka rōpine mai ā rāua kupu ki te tangere o te pūtea, ka takoto i konā mō āke tonu atu (TPH 30/3/1901:3). / Their words were placed in that bag and once inside the tie was pulled and then their words were close together in the bottom of the bag where they lie forever.

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tau

1. (noun) year, age.

Ka toru ngā tau o te pānga mai o tana mate rūmātiki ki a ia (HKW 10/1898:4). / He was afflicted with rheumatism for three years.

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Synonyms: houanga


2. (noun) season, period of time, interval, time of year.

I te tau o te kūmara, whakapapatia atu ki runga i ngā pōhatu ngā kūmara pakupaku i te hukenga o te hāngi. I te maonga, kua whakamaroketia hai kao, ā, kātahi hoki te kai reka, whakawaiwai ko tēnei ko te kao (TTR 1998:206). / In the kūmara season, small kūmara were placed on the rocks in the hāngī after the food had been removed. When cooked they were dried producing kao, and how sweet and mouth-watering this kao was.

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Synonyms:

tau

1. (noun) ridge.

Ka huri mātau ki tua o tētahi tau, ka kitea atu e mātau ngā tēneti e mā mai ana me ngā wākena hoki, i te taha mauī o ngā tēneti e tū mai ana ngā pūrepo a te hoariri (TPH 15/1/1900:7). / We rounded a ridge and saw the the white of the tents and the wagons, with the cannons of the enemy standing to the left of the tents.

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2. (noun) range.

Ka tīmata i te awa o Whangaehu, haere atu i taua awa ki te tau o Te Ruahine, haere ngā tau o Te Ruahine, o Tararua, tae noa ki te puke o Paekākāriki ; haere whakatehauāuru i runga i Paekākāriki ki te moana, ā, haere i te taha moana (hui katoa te motutere o Kapiti) hono noa ki te tīmatanga (TKM.MM 13/3/1862:25). / It commences at the mouth of the Whangaehu River, from there by that river to the Ruahine Range, then following the Ruahine and Tararua ranges to Paekākāriki Hill, then westwards across Paekākāriki to the sea, and then by the coast (including the island of Kapiti) to join back up with the starting point.

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tau

1. (verb) (-ria) to land, alight, come to rest, settle on, count, settle, perch, ride at anchor, resolve.

Ka tau mai ki ngā kura reo, e pau ana te hau, ka hoki atu e hikohiko katoa ana te ngākau (HM 4/2008:3). / I arrived at the language learning gathering worn out and when I returned home I was enthusiastic.

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Synonyms: pae


2. (verb) to settle down, subside, abate.

Ka tau te riri, ka hohou te rongo (TTR 1990:57). / Hostilities subsided and peace was made.

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Synonyms: pāngū, māwhe, mārie


3. (modifier) neat, comely, smart, attractive, handsome, becoming, suitable, beautiful, cute, befitting.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)

Māku e tapa he ingoa tau mōhou (TTT 1/4/1930:2035). / I will bestow a befitting name for you.

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Synonyms: koea, ātaahua, hūmārie, hūmārire, ātanga, pīwari, turua, purotu, waiwaiā, pūhangaiti, taputapu kē, tōingo, tōrire


4. (noun) attractiveness, beauty, grace, elegance.

He rite te whiunga i te poi me te rite o te whiu o te waewae, me te tungoutanga o te māhunga, me te tau hoki o te tinana ki te titiro atu (TPH 16/4/1900:5). / The swinging of the poi and feet were in unison, together with the bowing of the head and how graceful the bodies were.

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Synonyms: hūmārire, ātanga, rerehua, purotu, waiwaiā, ātaahua, hūmārie

tau-

1. Prefix indicating reciprocal action.

Kei te tautohetohe rāua ki a rāua. / They are arguing with each other.

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2. (particle) Prefix used with a few words to indicate that something is strange or unusual, e.g. tauiwi (foreign people), tauwhenua (strange land), tautangata (stranger).

See also tauwhenua, tautangata

tau

1. (noun) number.

Ko ngā tau kei runga ake i te 0, ka kīia he tau tōrunga, ko ngā tau kei raro iho i te 0, ka kīia he tau tōraro (PK 2008:882). / The numbers above 0 are said to be positive numbers, the numbers below 0 are said to be negative numbers.

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Synonyms: maha, nama, whika, tatau

tāu

1. (determiner) your (referring to one person and a single item) - often followed by a noun but can stand without one.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 52-56;)

Kei hea tāu ika? / Where's your fish?

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See also tāhau


2. (determiner) yours - one person (single item).

Anei te mahi a Pita. Kei hea tāu? / Here's Peter's work. Where's yours?

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3. (determiner) you have, you own.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 108-110;)

He whare reta tāu. / You have an envelope.

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4. Used in these ways listed above when the possessor has control of the relationship or is dominant, active or superior to what is possessed.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 54-56, 140-141;)

tau

1. (verb) (-a) to sing, bark (of a dog).

Ka rongo te kurī rā i te haunga whenua, kātahi ka tau te kurī nei (NM 1928:102). / When that dog smelled the land, it barked.

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2. (noun) song, chant at the beginning of a speech.

Ka tau te tini o te Hakuturi i tana tau anō (NM 1928:47). / The multitude of the Hakuturi sang his song again.

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tau toitū

1. (noun) prime number.

E rua anake ngā tauwehe o tētahi tau toitū, arā, ko taua tau anō me te 1. E taea ana te tau toitū te whakawehe pū ki a ia anō me te 1, koia anake. Hei tauira, he tau toitū te whitu: 7 ÷ 1 = 7 7 ÷ 7 = 1 (TRP 2010:283). / There are only two factors of a prime number - the number itself and one. A prime number can be divided exactly only by itself and one. There are no other factors. For example, seven is a prime number: 7 ÷ 1 = 7 7 ÷ 7 = 1 (TRP 2010:283).

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mauri tau

1. (verb) to be deliberate, without panic, relaxed - sometimes as one word, i.e. mauritau.

E nanaiore ana au i te huarahi kia mauri tau ai te ako a ngā ākonga i te reo Māori. / I am striving for the way that the students' learning of the Māori language will be relaxed.

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2. (adjective) be deliberate, without panic, relaxed.

He mauri tau te ia o te haka (Te Ara 2011). / The beat of the haka is is deliberate and rhythmic.

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3. (modifier) composed, unruffled, serene, relaxed, deliberate.

He tangata mauri tau, kāore e mataku, ka ū tonu ngā whakaaro ki te ārahi i ana tāngata e ora ai te katoa (PK 2008:444). / A composed man who will not be frightened and will concentrate on leading his people whereby they all survive.

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4. (noun) absence of panic.

Kua rongo au i te mauri tau o te mahi a te tamaiti rā. / I have felt the absence of panic in what that child is doing.

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whakamoe tau

1. (verb) to recite the seasons.


2. (modifier) knowing the seasons.

He tangata whakamoe tau (W 1971:204). / A man who has knowledge of the seasons.

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3. (noun) list of seasons.

Ko ēnei rā ko Tīhema, ko Hānuere, ko Pēpuere ki tā rātou whakamoe tau, arā whakapapa tau (TP 1/1911:4). / These days December, January and February are referred to as their seasons.

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Kia tau!

1. settle down! chill out!.

tau waea

1. (loan) (noun) telephone number, phone number.

He pai kē ake pea mēnā ki te whakarērea mai tō tau waea me kore e eke tēnei wawata (HM 3/1994:4). / It is probably best if you leave your telephone number in case we are able to do this.

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Synonyms: nama waea

tau wati

1. (loan) (noun) watch chain.

E ai ki tētahi kōrero, he kupu poto a Tauati mō Tau-Wati (TTR 1990:60). / It was said that Tauati was a shortened version of the word Tau-Wati meaning ‘watch chain’.

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tau nihoroa

1. a year of scarceness, a lean year, famine.

Kia ruarua ngā tau nihoroa, kia maha ngā tau rangea, mā reira rawa tātou e ora ai (PK 2008:499). / When there are few years of scarcity and many years of abundance, that's how we survive.

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See also nihoroa

tau tukuroa

1. season of famine, year of famine.

He tau hāwere tētahi, he tau tukuroa tētahi (W 1971:43). / One year of abundance, another year of famine.

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tau whakautuutu

1. (noun) alternating speakers between tangata whenua and mahuhiri at a pōhiri as in the system used on marae in Te Arawa and Waikato. In most other tribal areas the system called pāeke is used where all the local speakers speak first.

Ko te kawa o Tainui he tau whakautuutu, tū atu tū mai (TWK 46:8). / The speaking procedure in the Tainui territory is to alternate speakers between the tangata whenua and the manuwhiri.

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See also whakautuutu

tau pūtea

1. (noun) financial year.

Ko ngā kupu whakataki ēnei o te Pūrongo-ā-Tau a Te Taura Whiri mō te tau pūtea i mutu i te 30 o Pipiri 1995 (HM 4/1995:1). / These are the introductory comments of the the Māori Language Commission's Annual Report for the financial year ending on 30 June 1995.

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